As much as we need to think about humor in the workplace as a tool
that can help us manage our stress, spark creativity, enhance teamwork,
improve customer service and increase our productivity, we also need to
think of humor and laughter as indicators of how healthy our workplace is.

It’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing, really. We can use humor to
help us create more humane and energetic workplaces, but we also need
to create the type of work environments were it is easy to laugh
and have a little fun on the job. In fact, some management experts
have suggested that measuring the amount of laughter in an office ought
to be another valid measurement of the effectiveness of a workplace.
Some have gone so far to suggest that a reasonable goal for a well-
functioning work environment should be 10 laughs per hour.

So, the question of the Hump Day is simply this: Is your workplace
getting its recommended daily quota of laughter?
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2. Mike’s Fun at Work Tip

Start a humor file to collect humor relevant to your particular office,
job or workplace and invite customers to contribute suggestions and
ideas.

And then be on the watch for funny work related articles, humorous
alternative definitions (a mouse pad, for example, is NOT an apartment
for rodents), funny photos, silly questions asked by your customers,
cartoons, top ten lists and employee bloopers.

Before long, you’ll have more than enough material to include
In company or employee newsletters, to post on your web site, to
Include in staff meetings or add to your next business presentation.
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3. Quote of the Week

I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.
Woody Allen
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4. It’s a Wacky, Wacky World – Shoe Corner

Shoes of all shapes and sizes have begun to mysteriously pile up at an intersection in a small town in Indiana. The shoes began showing up
about six years ago, and since then, thousands have landed at the corner
– single shoes, pairs, mismatched pairs, pumps, sneakers, baby shoes,
high heels and everything in between.

Locals aren’t sure if the shoes are being left by extra-terrestrials
with a foot fetish, or if the shoes have simply arrived on their own.

Shoe joke of the day:

“Your shoes are on the wrong feet!”
“But these are the only feet I’ve got!”
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2002

Michael Kerr, “The Workplace Energizer” is the author of 5 books,
including When Do You Let the Animals Out? and You Can’t Be Serious!
Putting Humor to Work. Michael delivers keynote talks and workshops
on humor in the workplace, business creativity and public speaking
skills.